


Stag in Boots

by meandminniemcg



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Animagus theory, Animagus transformation, F/M, Fairy tale logic don't @ me because people know who is good for each other from dreams, M/M, Muslim James, Sirius as the miller's son, dreams and visions, lycanthropy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28391733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meandminniemcg/pseuds/meandminniemcg
Summary: A stag in boots tells Sirius that there are better things in store for him than Grimmauld Mill. But can a stag help him to become good enough for Sir Moony?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 24
Kudos: 14
Collections: Wolfnoote





	1. Miller's son

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Of_stars_and_moon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Of_stars_and_moon/gifts).



> This fic is my Wolfnoote gift exchange fic for the amazing @Of_stars_and_moon. Dear Asma, I decided to write a fairytale AU for you because in my country, around Christmas all the tv channels show lots of fairytale movies.And I decided to apply your Muslim!James headcanon in this fic.
> 
> My laptop cable died yesterday, so I don't really know when I can upload the second chapter and finish writing the third. 
> 
> The fic is loosely based on the fairytale Puss in Boots.
> 
> A huge thank you to my sensitivity reader @jililicious and my beta reader @spaceboundwitch

_Once upon a time, there was a miller who had two sons. And when he distributed his property among his heirs, he gave his younger son the mill, the donkey and everything else, and told his older son: I can give you one silver coin and a rope, you can make a sling and catch the stag who comes to the creek to drink, and eat it. Then you'll have food for some time. But then you’d better leave. I will curse you if you burden my heir…_

When the stag’s foot caught in the sling, Sirius, the miller’s older son, saw a sadness in his eyes, and as he was a kind lad, he released the stag. But the stag didn’t run away. He leaned closer to Sirius and softly touched Sirius’ shoulder with his nose.

“I know you. You didn’t mean to harm me. You are suffering, because your father didn’t give you a real part of the inheritance. You are afraid of hunger and homelessness. If you do as I tell you, you will find a new home and someone to love.”

“Will Regulus take me back in when Father is dead?” Sirius asked.

“Maybe he would, and maybe he wouldn’t, but by that time it will rather be the question of if you take your brother in if he wants to be taken in,” the stag replied.

“Me, being in a position to take Regulus in?” Sirius couldn’t imagine that. “Will I marry into a bigger, more modern mill?”

“Can’t you imagine anything better than being a miller and coughing day and night from the flour dust?” The stag looked at him quizzically. “Who is the most attractive person you have ever seen?”

“Many people look good, but nobody touches me like the man I see in my dreams. The man I saw riding by one night before the full moon in summer, once when I took a branch out of the millwheel, and again maybe a month later. I don’t see much of him in my dreams, just a tall silhouette with curly hair.” Sirius closed his eyes and thought of how often he thought of the beauty of that man. “But I know it’s him, and I hear his voice singing _‘You never heard my song before / The music was too loud / But now I think you hear me well / For now we both know how.’_ Anyway, he’s too good for me; he seems to be a nobleman. I call him Sir Moony in my mind.”

“I have seen him riding by, he isn’t just a character from a dream. If you want me to find you a new home and somebody to love, buy me a pair of boots.” The stag gave him a look that seemed to challenge him to be brave.

_I must be crazy. I really went and bought that weird stag boots, of all things. And all my money went for it. Probably I will soon eat grass and leaves in order not to starve._

“Sirius, I have to congratulate you on your exquisite taste in boots. You outfitted me to impress the king and his best friend, the Lady Evans.” The stag rested one antler softly on Sirius’ shoulder.

Sirius gasped. “The king? King Remus of Gryffindor?” 

“Definitely not the king of a chess game. Of course, King Remus.” The stag grinned, there’s no doubt about it, even though Sirius has never seen a stag grin before. 

“But why?” Sirius asked. 

“You’ll see when you’ll get invited to Godric’s Hollow after we finished our preparation.” The stag grinned. “Follow me.” 

They walked away from the mill, through a deep forest that sometimes emitted creepy sounds. After a while, they reached a house. The stag showed Sirius a shrub and asked him to feel for something there. After a little search, Sirius had a piece of black fabric in his hand. 

“Cover yourself with this. Slughorn is a gossip, and we shouldn’t let him know too much just yet,” the stag whispered. 

“And he won’t ask who is under this black blanket? Shouldn’t I better off to hide in the forest?” Sirius walked a step towards the treeline. 

“No,” the stag whisper-yelled. “That’s too dangerous. You aren’t ready to step into the Forbidden Forest alone. Hide under the Invisibility Cloak, and follow me, whatever happens.” 

Sirius covered himself with the cloak, just as the stag had asked him to. Meanwhile, the stag knocked on the door with his antlers. 

An old man, whose clothes had a pattern like the curtain cloth Merchant Burke had once brought into the mill to protect it from a storm, appeared in the door. “Sir Prongs, good seeing you. Thank you for the hair potion from your father.” 

“He sends you his greetings, Professor. Can I get the key for the Shack?” 

The professor retreated into his house, then returned with a big, slightly rusty key. 

“Oh, Professor, in one month, I will need an Acherontia Lachesis chrysalis. Can you help me get one for that precise time?” the stag said in a charming tone. 

“You want to brew a potion with the indirect aim of helping someone live longer?” 

“Yes, for a student of Minerva’s. She’s my mother’s best friend.” 

“Lady Minerva the Wise.” The professor looked dreamily into the middle distance. “Amazing woman. If I were younger and she weren’t on the forefront of Gryffindor… Not a place to be seen for a self-preserving Slytherin.” 

“I shall be on my way, Professor, so you can keep your neutrality.” The stag nudged Sirius with the tip of his left antler, and they slowly walked back towards the edge of the forest. When they were out of earshot, the stag asked: “Do you know who that was?” 

“A scholar, a self-preserving Slytherin.” Sirius tried to remember what neutral information he had gleaned from his parents’ biased words. His parents were avid followers of Deatheaterism, and hated Sirius because he was verbal about supporting Gryffindor. “Doesn’t that mean a Slytherin who lives on the borderland and has a pact of neutrality with both kingdoms?” 

“Yes. He secretly prefers Gryffindor, though.” The stag pronounced Gryffindor like the name of a loved family member. 

“I prefer Gryffindor, too. That’s why my father disowned me.” 

“I know. But your future holds better things in store than Grimmauld Mill.” The stag stopped in his tracks and pointed into the undergrowth by the wayside. “Do you see that mandrake?” 

Sirius looked down and recognized the mandrake leaves and the mandrake blossom on the ground. 

“Pick the smallest leaf, then stick it in your mouth. Don’t chew or swallow it. Just push it into your cheek and keep it there,” the stag ordered. 

“Won’t the mandrake scream?” Sirius had heard stories of mandrake screams. They were said to be among the worst things someone could possibly hear. People fainted or even died because of them. 

“Well, when I picked my first mandrake leaf, I had a jump scare from the muffled scream underground. The dangerous screams only happen when someone digs them up.” The stag shuddered and continued. “Since then, I found out that they can be easily distracted with the songs of the great bards. Mercurius or Arculus are usually the best for this. 

“Small wonder. They are the best.” He crouched down beside the plant and intonated: “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality.” 

The stag joined in. “Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see…” When they got to “Galileo-Galileo,” with Sirius singing the high-key Galileo and James answering in his basso voice, the stag nudged Sirius with his antler, and Sirius picked the smallest leaf. The plant seemed to gasp, but was quiet again for the “Galileo Figaro, Magnifico.” They finished the song, and Sirius rolled up the leaf and popped it into his mouth. 

The taste had a strong resemblance with Brussels Sprouts, only more sour. “Gross. How many minutes do I have to keep it there?” 

“Sorry, mate, you’ll have to keep it there for a full month.” 

A full month? What for? “Are you pranking me?” 

The stag gave him a compassionate look. “Nope. I know this sucks, but it will be your way into Sir Moony’s arms.” 


	2. Count Black

A month and two weeks had passed. Sirius had meditated and seen a big black dog in a vision. A dog with shaggy hair that looked like one shouldn’t mess with him, but that loved his belly rubs and didn’t mind a teething child chewing on his ear. He saw the dog nuzzling a hand with lots of scars. A good, loving hand.

Sirius had kept the Mandrake leaf in his mouth until the day the stag, whom he now called Prongs, had told him to spit it into a vial. They had added weird ingredients, like a chrysalis and dew collected before the sunrise, and boiled the mixture, while the stag explained to Sirius the theory of potions. Only he didn’t really explain how being able to transfigure himself into a dog might help him.

They stored the potion in a wooden chest, and the stag guided Sirius to a brook.

He stood before Sirius, looking at him with an earnest gaze, more earnest than he usually would in those days. “Sirius, imagine you were with the love of your life, but he suffered from an ailment. Would you still love him?”

“I would. Merlin knows, I would love him, cherish him and try to help him heal.” Sirius thought of when Regulus had caught the dragon pox, and their parents had sent them to a cave in the woods so they wouldn’t pass the disease on to Father or Mother. If his future husband had the dragon pox, he would spend day and night by his side, like he had spent day and night by his brother’s side until he had recovered. When he himself had contracted the dragon pox, his parents had sent for Regulus to come home and leave Sirius alone in the cave. Regulus had secretly sent an apprentice with food and medicine.

“And if a curse turned your love to a beast with claws and fangs?” the stag asked.

“Claws and fangs don’t make a beast. If he cares about his fellow people and about animals, no disfiguration or Maledictus curse, nor werewolf or vampire bite could make him a beast. A true beast is someone like my parents, who hates and has no qualms about inflicting suffering or even death.” Sirius thought of the graves of apprentices and elves not far from the mill, sacrificed by his parents.

Prongs now gave him an approving look. “I’ll ask again. If he were a werewolf?”

“I prefer to say if he suffered from lycanthropy. And it can’t shock me if his heart is good. He would be dangerous one night out of a moon cycle. All the other nights and days he would be good and loving. I would even doubt if I deserve such a man.” Sirius said slowly, “My parents tried all they could to raise me to hate. And when I was an apprentice, I once endangered Snape, a fellow apprentice because I thought he was a git."

“Would you still do anything like that?”

“Never. It’s the thing I regret most in my life.”

“I know Snape, he never was a good person.”

“But that didn’t give me the right to endanger him.”

“True. You are worthy of Sir Moony. You weren’t worthy of him then, but now you are.” Prongs stepped out into the clearing and asked Sirius to help him collect edible mushrooms for dinner.

  
“Wake up, Sirius, there’s a storm coming.” At the first moment, Sirius thought he was back at the mill, where storms always meant a lot of work. Only when he saw Prongs’ antlers against the light of his lumos did he remember where he was. “Get up. Time for the final step towards becoming an Animagus. Allah, I hope this will work. I trust in your ways.”

Sirius picked the chest with the potion up, and walked quickly to the cave, where he had spoken his Animagus incantation for the last weeks.

He pointed his wand at his heart and said in a loud, firm voice, “Amato Animo Animato Animagus!”

Then he lifted the lid of the chest, took out the vial with the potion and drank it. For a moment, nothing happened, and he almost thought he had messed up, or Prongs had pranked him.

Then, his vision faded to a greyscale, and his bones seemed to melt and be molded into different shapes. It hurt – less than a Cruciatus - and Sirius wondered if this was how a lycanthropy patient would feel at every transformation. He toppled forward and landed on his hands, no, front paws. His spine did something weird, the end of it started wiggling. That was a tail, and it felt fun to have a tail to wag. _‘Hey, I have a tail, and I can wag it.’_

The sound that left his mouth was a series of barks.

“Yeah, you can. And now you’ll transform back. It’s enough for the first transformation.” Prongs touched his head softly with one antler. “Now, concentrate on your human form. Imagine every canine part of you transforming back into your human form.”

_‘Already?_ ’ Another bark.

“Yes. If you stay transformed too long at your first transformation, it gets difficult to transform back.” Prongs’ voice now sounded a little stern.

Sirius concentrated on his human form, and felt his tail disappear, then he found it easy to get back on two legs; the fur retracted into his skin and his view turned back to full colour.

“I did it! I transformed into a dog and back.” Sirius bounced up and down with excitement and finally hugged Prongs. “It was painful, but not as painful as when my parents crucioed me. Do you happen to know if transforming always hurts?”

“Nah, only the first seven or so times, until your body has properly learned the shape of your Animagus form and how to get into it and out of it smoothly,” Prongs explained. “It’s the opposite of a lycanthropic transformation. Your Animagus form comes from relating to the character traits of an animal species in your heart of hearts. You take on the shape of the animal because you can relate to its feelings. A lycanthropic transformation or a Maledictus’ gradual becoming an animal is something imposed from the outside on a person. An Animagus’ inner animal is like a friend taking you on a tandem broom ride, while a lycanthropic transformation is like someone jumping on the broom behind you, holding a cursed knife to your throat and forcing you to do things on your broom that are dangerous for you and sometimes for others.”

“You said I could help Sir Moony.” Sirius thought of the soft singing voice.

“Oh yes, especially as your Animagus form is a dog. You can be with him when he transforms and calm the wolf.” Prongs looked at him as if he was scared Sirius might back away.

But Sirius just nodded. He had seen Sir Moony riding by, and after that the image of Sir Moony had been in his dreams for so long.

Prongs continued. “The wolf that takes him over every full moon is not an evil creature, just a desperate and scared one. I was his transformation companion until he got too strong for me alone to handle, but you are a canine, not an animal a wolf might hunt. We are different in official rank, but Sir Moony is like my brother. And when it became too dangerous to accompany him alone on full moon nights, I swore to find him someone who would love him and direct the wolf’s energy towards playing instead of hunting, fighting, or harming himself.”

  
After two more weeks, in which Prongs trained Sirius to quickly transform into and out of his Animagus form, Prongs had him explore how to handle different situations in his dog body and in general had him get used to the changes of his senses in his dog form. One morning, Prongs woke him up early.

“Padfoot, bathe and style your hair well. We have to start our journey soon, so if God wants we’ll be at the royal court by noon.”

Sirius gasped. “The royal court?”

“Did you think Sir Moony lives in a decrepit shack?” Prongs laughed.

“No, but the royal court… He might dine with the king… and my father is just a miller.”

“Being a noble Gryffindor is not determined by your father but by how brave and chivalrous your heart is. And I have seen that after the Snape incident you worked on yourself and developed into a brave and chivalrous man. I heard the reports from three Muggleborn apprentices your father tried to curse that you were the one to break the curses that would have killed them.”

Sirius remembered those incidents. And he remembered five Muggleborn apprentices before he knew that his father cursed Muggleborns, and two who died before he had figured out how to save them. “I didn’t do enough.”

“You did what you were able to do. And you will keep on doing good things,” Prongs said reassuringly.

  
Around noon they reached the royal castle of Godric’s Hollow. The guards at the gate bowed as they saw them and announced in a loud voice: “Sir James and a young man.”

Prongs, apparently called Sir James, led Sirius to a big hall, in which there was a throne at the end. Sirius didn’t dare look directly at the man on the throne. He just saw elegant shoes and very shapely legs. Was it a crime to think that King Remus’ legs looked good?

The king stood and descended the stairs. He gave Prongs a hug. “Hello, Prongs. Welcome home.”

The voice. Sir Moony’s voice, but that couldn’t be. That was the king.

“Hello, Remus, I’ve brought you someone who can help you with your furry little problem.” Prongs grinned.

“He can help?” The king’s voice sounded excited. “I think I’ve seen him before, standing in a stream. Welcome to Gryffindor castle.”

“One moment,” an old voice interrupted. “He’s dressed like a mere miller. Is he good enough to serve the king in such a high rank?”

Sirius saw an old man with a long beard in plum velvet robes.

“My regent, may I introduce to you Count Black? His castle is on the borderland, but he steadfastly sides with Gryffindor.” Prongs’ voice sounded very self-assured, if Sirius hadn’t known better, he would have believed it himself.

“But why is he wearing a miller’s clothes?” The scepticism was obvious in Regent Dumbledore’s face.

Prongs replied in a lamenting voice. “An hour’s journey from the castle, we took a bath to refresh ourselves. But thieves came and stole his clothes. Had it not been for a miller called Regulus who lent us some of his own clothes, Count Black would have had to appear before his majesty naked.”

“I shall accept your explanation for now, but I expect to be invited to Count Black’s castle after the full moon,” the regent replied.

“Count Black, you can look into my eyes. Don’t be afraid,” King Remus said softly.

Sirius looked up and gasped. The king was none other than Sir Moony, and he winked at Sirius.


	3. Chapter 3

"It’s all very well that your protegé can stay with my nephew during the full moon,” Lady Minerva gave him a stern look. “But are you sure Regent Dumbledore will believe the ruse and allow a king to marry a mere miller’s son, just because he has seen in dreams that he will make him happy? After all, having a king who can’t get married gives Dumbledore access to power as if he himself were the king.”

James grinned. “True. But you yourself gave me the solution to this problem. And I didn’t plan this on my own. I’m heeding your advice and running every strategy by the best person in this kingdom apart from his Majesty and yourself, by Lady Lily. It gives me reasons to talk to her and maybe if Allah wants it one day she and you will find me good enough for her.”

“Have a biscuit, Sir James.” Lady Minerva smiled at him. “And do tell me about your plan, after all, Regent Dumbledore is occupied with judging farmers’ quarrels and won’t send for us or find out we cast a Muffliato.”

“Thanks, but I’ll take a carrot instead, biscuits are for my human form.” James rubbed his left antler against the wall. “Well, you yourself said, if only we could defeat the Princess Lestrange! And I think I have found a solution for that. Whoever defeats her will be the ruler of her castle and get a title.”

“He’s a miller, not a knight. His dueling magic is woefully underdeveloped.” Lady Minerva tapped her little finger on the table.

“Nobody needs to know it wasn’t him who made the plan. After all, he wasn’t only in Remus’ dr…”

“Sir James, while I appreciate how close you are to his majesty, please do remember that it will harm his and your reputation if you don’t speak about him with his abbreviated title.” The stern tone and look was accompanied with a pat on the shoulder, showing James that while she admonished him to keep up appearances, she in fact approved greatly of James’ sibling-like friendship with the king.

“In his majesty’s dreams. My own parents dreamed of adopting Sirius as their second son, ever since they heard that he rescued the royal messenger from his parents,” James said happily.

“Oh, yes, I know. Duke Fleamont told me about it. And I will give you some advice. Princess Lestrange’s greatest weakness is her urge to show off her powers dramatically. Maybe you can use it against her. And remember you have to bring his majesty and Sirius to the hunting lodge.” Lady Minerva turned into her cat form and sat like a loaf. “Set off tomorrow morning, but remember to come to my room before that.”

  


)()()()(

“Sirius, we have to go to the hunting lodge with his majesty.” Prongs tapped on Sirius’ shoulder with his antler.

Sirius got up and put on his shoes reluctantly. “Psst, can you tell me how to walk that far with those high heels? I mean they look awesome and I love my feet in them, but I guess it will take more practise.”

Prongs chuckled. “Oh, Siri, these are riding shoes.”

Sirius’ heart skipped a beat. Horses were so pretty, but what if he did it all wrong and hurt them? “But I can’t ride. Father used to ride, or sometimes Regulus, and they rode a donkey, not a horse. I always had to walk. Can’t I put on my own shoes or walk in my dog form?”

“Don’t worry. This time, you both will ride in a carriage, and after the Full moon, you will begin your riding lessons, horse, thestral and hippogriff. After all, my Abu is the commander of the royal cavallery.” James took on a proud pose. “And he promised to teach you as if you were his own son.”

  


)()()()(

They sat in the royal carriage to King Remus’ hunting lodge. The expression in the king’s eyes looked kind of shy, but could a king feel shy? Sirius only dared look up for short moments; he himself definitely felt shy. It was difficult to wrap his mind around that Sir Moony wasn’t a knight but a KING. Yes, Prongs had introduced him as a count, which still meant that he was far below King Remus’ status, but being a miller’s son, their status difference was not even in the same galaxy.

“Count Black?” King Remus interrupted Sirius’ thoughts.

“Your majesty?” Sirius tried to bow down, as much as it was possible in a royal carriage while the horses were running at top speed.

“Rule number one, when we’re alone, I don’t want us to use official titles. I’m Remus, and you are… what’s your first name?” The king tentatively took Sirius’ hand.

“Si- Sirius.” Again, Sirius tried to bow.

“No bowing, when we’re alone. I know that Prongs is working on making you a count, and I know where I saw you for the first time. And I couldn’t forget you. The second time I saw you, I sang, hoping you would look at me, and you did.” King Remus put a hand on Sirius’ shoulder.

“Remus.” The name filled his mouth like sweet blueberries, Sirius’ favourite berries. He wanted to say something more, but didn’t know what to say.

He was spared the requirement to speak, as the carriage came to a halt.

“We’re nearly there, it’s not far anymore. And we must walk the rest of the way.” Remus got up and climbed out of the carriage slowly. He seemed to pull himself together, but Sirius was sure that Remus was feeling pain.

Sirius followed him quickly, and when the carriage was out of sight, he asked softly. “Does it hurt?”

Remus gave him a surprised look, then a carefully trained mask seemed to shutter across his face. “Don’t worry. Nothing I haven’t managed for years now. I’m a king and a king has to show strength.”

“I gathered that. But we’re alone here, aren’t we?” He wanted Remus to lean on him. He wanted it so much.

“Fine.” Remus put an arm across Sirius’ shoulder, and Sirius put his arm around Remus’ back, getting enveloped in Remus’ scent. It was the best scent Sirius had ever smelled.

They arrived at the hunting lodge, and Remus asked Sirius to transform and wait in the anteroom. “You can’t be around me in human form from now until the moment I have transformed back. Also, I don’t want you to have to see me in the moment of transformation. My father fainted the one time he saw me transform when I was six years old. I was tied up, and couldn’t be dangerous for him. That was before James’ parents came to our court as ambassadors and told us that Animagi could be around a werewolf.”

Sirius transformed and sat. After a few minutes he heard a scream that turned into a howl from the main room. Then a big grey wolf came through the door. Sirius sniffed. Through the wolf scent he still smelled Remus. And Remus was as gorgeous as a wolf as he was as a human. Sirius couldn’t stand still. He ran around the wolf and then shyly approached. Remus sniffed at him and made an approving sound.

Now Sirius couldn’t keep still. He wagged his tail. _You’re so perfect. Please, please let’s do something fun together._

The wolf played with him until they both felt tired, then the wolf pressed his nose against a tile in the wall, and a door opened towards a room with two plates of steaks.


	4. Prince Consort

A pained-sounding howl roused Sirius from his sleep. He wanted to get out, as he thought Remus wanted to avoid being seen, but Remus’ paws had already turned back into hands, cramped into his fur. And Sirius didn’t trust himself to transform back without hurting Remus. He stayed almost motionless, tried to use his voice to comfort Remus. Moony, I’m here for you. I know you didn’t want me to see you transform, but now that I have to be around, I promise to be there for you.

He hoped Remus would understand.

When Remus let go of his fur, Sirius transformed back and took a closer look at Remus. The king had scratches and other injuries all over his body. Sirius grabbed his wand and quickly rattled off healing spells.

Remus looked at him with big eyes. “Where did you learn that?” he finally rasped.

“I taught myself healing spells, so I could heal the apprentices my father injured with his curses.” Sirius thought back on his life at Grimmauld Mill, how he had hoped for everyone he cared about except for Reg to leave while they could, and maybe to see them at the market after a few years. He knew, if they stayed, Father would eventually kill them.

Somebody knocked at the door.

“Come in, Lady Poppy.” Remus’ voice sounded stronger now, but still weak compared with yesterday.

A grey-haired woman in healers’ robes entered the hunting lodge. Sirius vaguely remembered being introduced to her. She was Lady Minerva’s wife, if he remembered well.

“Your majesty! You look so much better than usual. You have far less wounds! Even less than when Sir James could still protect you.” She knelt down beside Remus and started casting healing spells on the remaining wounds.

“Turns out Sirius is quite good with basic healing charms. And not easily shocked.” Remus grinned.

“Your Majesty has found an apt transformation partner, indeed.” Lady Poppy took out her wand and beckoned to Sirius. “Sirius, I’d like you to assist me. If you can imagine learning more about healing full moon injuries.”

It took them a few minutes to heal the rest of the injuries, and Sirius learned two healing charms that were less magic-draining than the ones he had taught himself. Lady Poppy brought out a Portkey that took them to the Royal convalescence suite.

)()()()(

Meanwhile, James was on his way through the Forbidden Forest towards the border region. He had to have results by the time Remus would be ready. As he exited the forest, he saw a big meadow, and peasants who were mowing it. They looked rather poor, poorer than in the rest of the kingdom.

“Good morning, could you tell me whose land this is?” he asked.

“It belongs to the Princess Lestrange.”

“When tomorrow the royal carriage comes here, and asks whose land it is, tell them it belongs to Count Black. It will improve your situation greatly.” “Princess Lestrange would torture us to death.” The oldest farmer looked sad.

“Tonight, the power of Princess Lestrange will come to an end. Take this coin, there is a Protean charm on it. If it warms up today, read what’s written on it. If it doesn’t warm up within a week, you may spend it on things your family needs.” The stag levitated a coin out of his bag and into the hand of the oldest peasant.

“Thank you, sir.” The peasant bowed.

  
Half an hour later, James arrived at a pasture, where three teenagers were tending sheep.

“Hello, who does this pasture and this flock belong to?” He inquired of the girl among them.

“They belong to the Princess Lestrange.” The girl curtseyed.

“Tonight, the power of Princess Lestrange will end. Take this coin, there is a Protean charm on it. If it warms up today, read what’s written on it. If it doesn’t warm up within a week, you may spend it on things you and your brothers need.” The stag levitated a coin out of his bag and into the hand of the girl.

“Thank you, sir.” The girl curtseyed.

  
Again half an hour later, James arrived at a field, where a peasant woman and her teenage children were working.

“Good morning, could you tell me whose land this is?” He asked.

“It belongs to the Princess Lestrange.”

“When tomorrow the royal carriage comes here, and asks whose land it is, tell them it belongs to Count Black. It will improve your situation greatly.”

“Princess Lestrange would torture us to death.” The oldest child looked sad.

“Tonight, the power of Princess Lestrange will come to an end. Take this coin, there is a Protean charm on it. If it warms up today, read what’s written on it. If it doesn’t warm up within a week, you may spend it on things your family needs.” The stag levitated a coin out of his bag and into the hand of the woman.

“Thank you, sir.” The woman curtseyed.

“How far is it to the castle?”

“It’s directly behind that hill,” the woman replied.

  
After crossing the hill, James arrived at the castle. He walked across the draw bridge, and in the courtyard he saw large piles of cages. In one of the lowest ones, there was a weasel with tears in her eyes.

“Sir, Sir, can you help me? Princess Bellatrix wants to turn my daughter into potion ingriedients, and I’m imprisoned here in this magic-absorbing cage and can’t free my little girl.” The weasel said in the voice of a middle-aged woman.

“No problem.” James transfigured a stone into a key and unlocked the cage.

She immediately scurried to open another cage and freed a falabella pony foal.

James hurried and entered the castle. He walked through to the Great Hall, where Princess Bellatrix sat on a pompous throne, surrounded by statues.

“You came here of your own volition, Animagus? What a foolish move, ickle Bambikins. I can easily catch you in one of my cages and harness your magic for myself.” She shook with mad laughter.

“Yes, it was my own decision to come here. I have heard of your strength. It’s legendary. Is it true that you can assume more than one Animagus form? If you can, I might give you my power without resisting.” He looked directly into her eyes, showing no fear.

“Oh yes, I can take on fifty-seven different Animagus forms.” She took on a proud stance and turned herself into a huge boa constrictor.

James made sure to be out of the snake’s biting range, then looked at her. “Are all of your Animagus forms snakes? Or maybe there’s a crocodile? Surely, all your forms are reptiles?”

“You are wrong, Bambikins.” She rolled around uncontrollably with laughter, then took a deep breath and turned into a cassowary.

“Okay. You can turn into birds, too. Can you only turn into anything that lays eggs?” James showed no fear. It was fake it till you make it.

“Oh, Bambikins. I can turn into most species.” She turned into a tiger now, and pounced. 

But James Apparated to the other side of the room. He looked around, then had an idea. “Yes, I can see you can take on lots of big carnivorous forms, but I can’t believe that you could turn into a small, unassuming animal. Let’s say, a mouse?”

“Let this be the last question. I’ll transform, and when I transform back, you’ll be mine! I’ll overthrow King Remus with your Animagus form.” She transformed into a grey mouse.

But at that moment, the weasel jumped out from behind the statue of a knight, pounced on the mouse, and ate it.

“Can’t let that bitch have my kids!” She transformed back into a middle-aged woman with a chef hat on her red hair. “Thank you so much for freeing us, sir. Are you the new lord of this castle?”

“No, I freed this castle, so my friend, Count Black can be the lord of it. He will come here tomorrow with King Remus. Could you welcome him with a good meal? He is a good man.”

James transformed into his human form, for the first time since narrowly escaping at a duel with Princess Bellatrix three years ago. Then he took his own coin with his Protean charm and conjured the message: “Count Black is the new lord of the Silver Castle and its land.”

A red-headed young man approached him. “Can I take you to the royal castle in the carriage? I’m Molly Weasley’s second son. My name is Charly.”

“Yes, thank you, Charly. I will say my prayers, and then we can depart.”

)()()()()(

Remus had slept a lot the day after the full moon, and Sirius had sat in an armchair by his bedside most of the time, switching from drawing a picture of the king on a piece of paper to reading a romance novel.

The next morning, after Remus and Sirius had eaten a luxurious breakfast, a man with brown skin, very messy hair and glasses came into the convalescence suite. “My king, Count Black.”

Remus grinned, showing his beautiful dimples. “You have good news, Prongs?”

“Ohh, that’s what you look like in your human form? I can understand why Lady Lily finds you handsome. Although compared with his majesty…” Sirius lifted Remus’ hand and kissed it.

Remus blushed.

James gave Sirius a key. “The Silver Castle is ready for you. As soon as you feel up to going there, we can show Regent Dumbledore that Count Black is the ideal prince consort for your majesty.”

“One moment, James.” Remus turned towards Sirius, leaned in and kissed him passionately. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Sirius had never been so happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Remus' song is _Some Day One Day_ by Queen.
> 
> Mercurius and Arculus: Freddie Mercury (you guessed it) and David Bowie. I can't write a universe in which the Marauders aren't Queen fans.


End file.
